March 7, 2026, 5:08 p.m. CT
The Milwaukee Bucks host the tanking Utah Jazz tonight, March 7, at Fiserv Forum in a must-win sport that additionally sees the Bucks on a four-game losing streak. They have additionally misplaced 5 of their final seven video games to fall additional out of the postseason image in the Eastern Conference.
“‘Cause this league, anything can happen,” Bucks guard AJ Green mentioned after the group shot round Saturday morning. “We’ve lost four in a row. Somebody else can lose four in a row, we win four in a row and we’re right back there. So just control the controllables, focus on us.”
The Bucks are 26-35 total and even with Giannis Antetokounmpo returning to motion this week, the offense has continued to wrestle. The group has scored fewer than 100 factors in 4 of these 5 losses. Milwaukee’s protection, considered one of the poorest in the league all season, has remained sievelike as effectively, permitting 120.1 factors per sport in over the final seven.
Utah would look like an excellent group to interrupt a dropping streak towards, as the Jazz are efforting to complete with considered one of the league’s worst data. At 19-44, they’ve the fifth-worst mark in the league. If their decide falls out of the high eight in May’s NBA draft lottery, it can go to Oklahoma City as a part of a 2021 commerce.
That mentioned, the Jazz have the seventh-best scoring offense in the league and younger guards in Keyonte George (24 factors per sport) and Ace Bailey (12.4) that might give the Bucks bother. Utah does personal the league’s worst scoring protection, nonetheless.
Is Giannis playing?
Yes.
The Bucks famous person is not on the harm report after getting back from an almost six-week absence attributable to a proper calf pressure. Antetokounmpo is playing below a minutes restriction, nonetheless, and logged just below 26 minutes in his first two video games on March 2 and March 4.
Is Doc Rivers retiring?
On March 5, Rivers’ former ESPN colleague Stephen A. Smith said on a SiriusXM radio that the Bucks’ head coach was going to hold it up after the season.
Following his group’s follow on March 6, Rivers issued considerably of a denial.
“No, I’m not stepping into that,” Rivers mentioned. “That’s something that’s; I think he feels that way, but not from me.”
Smith offered his take on Rivers’ future when he was asked if Ja Morant would be helped by being coached by the Hall of Fame finalist if he were to be acquired by the Bucks in the offseason.
“It’s not gonna be Doc Rivers because Doc Rivers is gonna retire at the end of this season,” Smith mentioned. “Doc Rivers has been coaching for close to 25 years, this is it for him. He’s gonna step away.”
NBA playoff standings
The Bucks are out of the postseason image solely. Here are the play-in standings in the Eastern Conference heading into sport play on March 7:
No. 7: Miami (35-29): The Bucks and Magic have break up the season collection 1-1. Milwaukee travels to Miami on March 12.
No. 8: Orlando (33-28): The Bucks and Magic have break up the season collection 1-1. The Bucks host the Magic on March 8.
No. 9: Atlanta (32-31): The Bucks and Hawks have break up the season collection 1-1. Milwaukee travels to Atlanta on March 14.
No. 10: Charlotte (32-32): The Bucks personal the tiebreaker over the Hornets having gained the season collection 3-1.
No. 11: Milwaukee (26-35): The Bucks have had higher luck towards the play-in groups up to now, as they’re simply 5-14 towards the high six seeds in the convention.
“I think you can look at (the standings) and just see what it is but you gotta then come back to the now,” Green mentioned. “We have a game today. How can we get better today? What do we need to work on. We gotta win today. Just keep controlling what we can and worry about ourselves.”
- Taurean Prince, out (neck surgical procedure)
- Kevin Porter Jr., out (proper knee swelling)
Bucks possible beginning lineup
- Guards: AJ Green, Ryan Rollins
- Forwards: Ousmane Dieng, Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Center: Myles Turner
What time is the Bucks sport?
The sport is about to tip off at 7 p.m. CT.
What channel is the Bucks sport on?
The sport will likely be simulcast regionally on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin and WMLW The M with Lisa Byington, Wesley Matthews and Melanie Ricks on the name.
Bucks vs. Jazz odds
Milwaukee is a 9.5-point favourite over Utah with the over/below set at 231.5 factors, per BetMGM.
